The present invention relates to a device for holding a coolant for cooling a body part. The preferred field of application of the device is the cooling of a human head, implementable by a layman and/or a first aid provider.
Active cooling systems and passive cooling are known in the field of head cooling systems. In the case of active cooling systems, use is made of a head hood with water cooling by a tube system or air cooling. In the case of air cooling, a continuously cooled air stream is guided around the region of the head and the brain is consequently cooled. Passive cooling is typically effected by ice, water evaporation, cool packs and the like.
Until now, active cooling systems for the head have only been applied in clinical situations.
Due to the fact that particularly in the first minutes of oxygen deficiency in the brain thousands of brain cells die and severe life-threatening symptoms develop for the affected party, it is important to drastically minimize the mass death of brain cells.
This is effected by reducing the oxygen use in the brain cells by selectively reducing the temperature in the head as soon as possible whilst maintaining the body temperature as much as possible.